Trapped In A Voidborn Nightmare
by DeusExTranshuman
Summary: We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. - H.P. Lovecraft. And what is a greater black sea, than the Void itself... (Hell-hole reboot)


Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely for recreational purposes.

AN: Surprise! Took a bit of time to figure out how I wanted to go with this, but I consider this to be a good start with the reboot of my, much loved, 'Get Me Out of This Hell-hole!'. However, before I carry on, I want to thank **Vandenbz** for proofreading efforts to ensure that the chapter was alright.

Next, as a point of warning, this will not be like the original story, as I mentioned in the note at the end of Hell-hole. The basis of the new story is based on a CYOA (Chose your own adventure, for those who don't know) that is called Built in the Heavens. I'd honestly recommend it, if only because it's a rather interesting idea, and certainly would work as a good basis for future stories, or ideas for other stories.

Anyway, with those out of the way, one with the story!

 **XXX**

People talk about things like sensory deprivation, but I had to honestly wonder about what they thought that _truly_ meant. I mean, imagine it, being completely isolated from any and all senses; no taste, touch, sight, hearing, or smell. Absolutely nothing but a complete lack of sensory inputs and your own thoughts to keep you company, with no idea about how much time had passed outside your little bubble. I can imagine a few people arguing that such a thing isn't that bad, but I'd argue that they'd have been either high, drunk, talking through a hole in their arse, or all of the above. To even experience such a thing wasn't something one could just put into words, nor was it a kind fate. It was torture, and a cruel torture at that.

One that I got to experience, if only for a time, as I went to bed before waking up the next day to find myself lacking any kind of sense that a normal Human would have. I could not feel my body, had no idea what the time was, no clue where I was, I didn't even feel air against my skin. I just felt a complete absence of any stimuli that could be considered normal, or familiar as I frantically tried to find something, anything, that could anchor me to some manner of existence. I knew that total sensory deprivation wasn't a good thing, if given time, it could break people. I knew that if nothing happened, then I'd be begging for death by the end of the day, followed shortly by a loss of sanity and then the slow, but inevitable loss of what made me who I was as my mind fractured from the absolute nothingness.

I screamed and screamed and screamed in my mind, hoping that someone, anyone, anything, would hear me and end the torturous existence I had suddenly found myself a part of.

Turns out, something was listening at that particular moment, as I found out when a stream of light, for lack of a better word, impaled my brain. It burned, it hurt and it was near blinding in intensity as I felt pain flowing through my mind, sensation flowing through me and piercing with all the grace of a near-molten Iron poker.

Still, even for all the pain, I welcomed the sensation, after what felt like an eternity of utterly blind silence. Pain meant I could feel once more, and that wasn't something I turned away from, if only to remind me that I was alive even as images flashed through my brain. Things passing through my mind's eye and beyond faster than I could track. I felt a pressure building to the bursting point with every moment that passed, things becoming less blurry even as I struggled to deal with what felt like a surge of data as pain grew in the back of my head.

Eventually, it did reach a bursting point. However, that bursting point wasn't a critical explosion, but a... Release, for lack of a better term. All that information, having piled up, now flowed through my mind as I felt the pain fade, the data coming at the same speed, but I could actually read it, understand it. Images, entire books' worth of text, audio files and a dozen other things were all piped through to me as the pain faded to a dull numbness. I felt like my brain was itchy as the information continued to pour in from somewhere beyond me. Even then, the itching sensation slowly decreased as comprehension increased, each new bit of knowledge slotting into place in some kind of massive jigsaw puzzle that I couldn't even begin to understand.

Time passed as more information flowed into me, no real links appearing at first, but slowly, things started connecting together, forming links to different subjects and creating a core understanding of something far, _far_ greater than I could even begin to imagine. Sciences had been massively expanded on as technical manuals of all kinds trickled into my mind, some of the stuff, I was sure, had no singular word in English to describe them. Complex theory was placed before me, denoting things ranging from advanced Quantum mechanics, to what looked like some kind of dimensional theory mixed with a technical blueprint of what looked like a ship.

Pieces were falling into place as names of systems started to become clearer to me, all the while the distilled experience of a million naval battles was slowly leaked into my brain. Memories of battles I couldn't even imagine being merged into my own mind, experiences, tactical acumen and the knowledge of Void combat all merging in with the rest of the information.

Slowly, over the course of what felt like days, all of this started to slow down until it was just a trickle of what it had once been. The last pieces slotted together as I picked out names that rang a bell in the back of my mind, but couldn't quite remember off the top of my head. Of course, that soon took a backseat in my mind as new information came, this time not facts, figures and instructions, but something more.

From the trickle of information, it came.

A point of light that grew until it showed itself as a massive tangle of wires that slowly arranged itself to form a shape, details soon followed as curves were added, slopes appearing and giving rise to a form that could only be described as organic. The massive shape appeared before me like some kind of aquatic predator, a cross between a Manta Ray and a Great White Shark. It lacked any features like eyes or a mouth, but things like fins and, a single tail covered in spike-like cones that seemed to flex in some unseen current were present. Instinctively, I knew these spikes could fold down, forming a sleek cover to a singular point. Large wings came from either side, seamlessly merging into the main body. Fins were present both above and below the massive wings, smaller, barely a fifth their length and only a third as wide at the root and tip. On top of the main body, a single fin extended up, similar to the four already present, but thicker, running along more of the body, but not extending any further from said body, with another, slightly smaller, fin located on the underside.

It was an impressive design, one of a massive predator as the numbers automatically ran through my mind, causing my mind to come to a screeching halt as I suddenly became aware of just how _big_ the figure before me actually was supposed to be. From the tip of the 'nose' to the end of the tail, the entire thing was almost 35 kilometres in length, another twenty kilometres from wing tip to wing tip, and at least five kilometres from the lowest point of the figure, to the tallest.

The sheer size of such a thing made me struggle to understand just how it could be made, not helped by the fact that I _knew_ the principles to creating it in the back of my head. Complex formulae and technical explanations rearing up at the slightest thought even as the wireframe gained more detail, the internal area slowly gaining definition, detailing the internal structure as I noted areas down. Names stuck out at me while various little things just seemed... Off. Honestly, I was half convinced that I was experiencing some kind of lucid dream of one kind or another, not something that was entirely impossible, but a part of me knew that wasn't the case, causing an abyss to form in my gut as some of the names finally clicked into place.

If I could have felt my face, I would have probably felt all the blood drain from it as I recognized names like 'Alchemical Forge', 'Singularity Core', 'Chrysalis Generator' and 'Subspace Filament Control'. I started to remember what I had done before I went to bed, the email that I was convinced had come from a friend asking me for my opinion for some CYOA he had found. I had looked it over, created a build and sent it back to him before heading for bed, since it was rather late at the time. Built In The Heavens, that was the name of it, a new one that I didn't know off the top of my head, but an interesting one, once I had sat down to read through it and the options provided.

A moment later, I froze. All thought stopped as I suddenly remembered the Complications section and the things I had filled-in to ensure that my build would be possible, while not ending up with something like an Empire of one kind or another coming to hunt a character down.

" _ **WHERE THE HELL AM I!?**_ " I screamed through my mind, shouting as loudly within the confines of my mind as I could before I watched a red dot appear within the massive vessel. A thought, and another screen appeared before me as I felt the abyss grow larger and larger in my gut.

Correction, my non-existent gut, since I was apparently just a Brain in a jar.

 _"Master! It is so good to see that you have awoken once more! For a moment, I had thought you lost once more!"_ I suddenly heard through a new link, a new point of light forming as a new figure appeared within my mental space. I stopped paying any attention to it after the full totality of my new existence became apparent to me.

And yes, I want it to be noted that screaming is a totally acceptable response to find out that you had just become the CPU/main control of what could be called a 'Dreadnought' by some, though, I'm sure that most would probably call this ship a mobile Megastructure. Still, it was a distinction that I'd only care for in hindsight, and certainly not while screaming about how this was now my reality and, in fact, not a dream.

 **XXX**

 _"Master!? Are you alright?! Please, Master, are you alright?! Please! I-I can't be alone... Please... Master... Please be alright..."_ I heard as I finally stopped screaming, reality exerting itself and I was reminded that I wasn't alone after a dozen different prayers, whimpers and begging sessions to whatever cruel god might exist to let this new existence just be a nightmare.

Apparently, they were feeling especially cruel today, since I got nothing and was forced to accept the reality of my situation. A situation that still made me feel jumpy and marginally unsure as I tried to comprehend how this could happen even as the voice from earlier tried to get my attention. It was begging to me in turn, addressing me as her 'Master' and begging that I was alright, that I wouldn't leave her, since the voice was clearly female. It wasn't much, but it was something to focus on, something that let me think of something else besides the fact that I had been yanked from my home and dropped God-alone knew where as little more than a Brain in a Jar. Turning my awareness away from that fact, I looked at the figure of light that had appeared within my mental sight. She was made from silver light, decorated in a Forerunner-style dress with plates of metal mixed with flowing fabric that reminded me of Mensab from Blame. Currently, I saw her curled up, hugging her legs and seeming to cry as traces of some cyan liquid slowly flowed down her face as I watched.

Something in me couldn't take it, an instinct to help, perhaps, but I couldn't help it when I reached out. In that moment, I felt my hand as it grasped her shoulder, a thing made from streaming lines of golden code. It was like a wire-mesh, semi-solid, yet still strong as I allowed for the sensation, aware of the contact even as a part of me chanted that it wasn't real.

 _"Hey... Hey, it's alright... I'm here... I'm not going anywhere..."_ That last comment was said more to myself than anything else. A reminder that I probably wasn't going anywhere soon, a private thought of my situation, but one lost on the being before me as she seemed to jump at the sudden contact, her head whipping up to look at me with widened eyes and tears streaking down each cheek. Seeing her eyes, I couldn't help but look at them, a brilliant red that seemed to contract with the tears, drawing attention to her face as it changed. I was given no warning besides the change in her expression, her face lighting up with joy and utter glee as she realized I was near her. The next moment, I went from standing by her to being toppled over and my back hitting the ground with a dull thump, the sensation being there, but not painful in the slightest as I banged my head against the floor below us.

Looking back up, I saw the woman lying on top of me, her body pressing against mine even as she rubbed her face into my chest, an expression of pure bliss on her face even as she hugged herself tighter at the proximity of her body against what felt like my own. I was only glad that said body was a digital construct of some kind, if only so that I could avoid the physical reactions that came with the proximity, especially as I felt a particularly large set of breasts press through her dress and against my body. Listening, I could hear her whispering words to herself, hugging her form against my body and letting silver, sparkling hair pool on the ground around us as I kept my hands up, unsure of what to do as I heard her.

 _"You're here... You're here... You're here... You're here and you're real and I'm not alone anymore..."_ She whispered as I slowly lowered my arms, the motions jerky and difficult, my hesitation still visible as I tried not to think about the _other_ situation that awaited me the moment I had time to think. Gradually, I placed my hands down on her, one on her head while the other was placed on her back, feeling skin through the dress she wore as I rubbed circles into her back to relax her.

 _"Yeah... Yeah, I'm here... I'm here... I'm real..."_ I offered as she looked up at me, a hope that was frankly overwhelming lighting up within her eyes.

 _"I know... After so long... I'm not alone... Thank you, Master... Thank you for ending the silence..."_ Was all she said before she went back to pressing herself against me as thoroughly as she could, as though she believed I would disappear the moment that I let go of her, her hold staying firm as her legs wove themselves between my own and locked themselves in place. I allowed my head to fall back, registering the simple fact that I truly wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Still, just the comforting sensation of physical contact was enough to grant me some relief in turn, the press of skin through unreal clothing and hearing the breathing of another.

It was a small mercy, but I'd take what I could get.

 **XXX**

Time, I had found, had very little meaning within a digital existence.

My Brain was directly connected to a massive, multi-kilometre long vessel that had enough firepower to reduce a planet to a barren ball of ash, or completely destroy it, if given enough time. With that in mind, I swallowed the bitter pill and tried to make the most of it. I remembered the Complications on the CYOA that I had filled out and sent off to, who I now believed to be, a ROB, so I knew that the chances of me ever finding Home once more were slim to none. Hell, I had to wonder what else I could expect, given that I remembered the other Complications from the CYOA, but they had yet to manifest in some way or another.

A thought was enough to learn the status of the entire ship I now controlled. Every system reporting at full capacity, ready for action, but missing some components such as all but the bare minimum of Drones or ammunition for any system that needed them. The systems I had wanted were all present, systems geared towards allowing me to build and expand, potentially allowing me to upgrade the massive ship and even, potentially, produce sister ships that could grow to be just as massive, if not bigger. Regardless, those were thoughts for the future, I still needed to know so much, even with the knowledge of the ship literally burned into my brain, I found myself wondering what to do as I sat within the digital existence. On the chair I sat on, the woman I knew to be the ship's AI lay across my lap, looking up to me even as I absently traced fingers through her hair. This had been a compromise to let me learn of the current situation, if only because she still refused to let me go. I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy the position, but I really wondered about just how much of a good idea it was with the AI I had chosen.

 _"This ship... It's not in the baseline reality, is it?"_ I asked, curious as to learn that, as I had already looked beyond the sensors and seen the space outside, a space filled with fractals of impossible colours with black spiralling towers threading up and down and across and in any direction one could name. Their bodies trimmed in flowing lines of red that seemed to shift with every moment that passed as streams of golden energy freely swam between the massive tree-like pillars as more pillars branched off and spread. It was like a maze of utterly alien and inhuman design, a place where the laws of reality no longer applied and the normal matter seemed to fall away at the seams.

 _"No, Master... We are in the Black Forest... A dimensional space so disconnected from reality that none would know of it... It is many things to many beings... Entire empires have gone through their entire existence without knowing of this place, yet others have seen it, learned of it, and walked through its twisted paths as little more than ghosts in the void, whispers never heard... Even by those that know how to listen."_ The AI explained, giving me a condensed summary layered with flowery language even as a stream of technical information filled the back of my head.

 _"And the reason this ship is currently here, and not in baseline reality?"_ I asked, slightly curious, but knowing the answer. She smiled as she looked up at me, seemingly taking joy in the simple act of talking to another living being.

 _"Those that built this ship... My own creators... They forged this vessel from exotic matter not bound by the rules and laws of reality, crafted it into something beyond even the scope of their understanding and unleashed it with a power greater than they could imagine. This ship was built as something more, and something more it remains. It can venture into reality at will, but there is a trade for its power, a cost for its strength, Master. This ship can only remain within reality as we know it for a number of months before needing to return to this realm. The laws that you once lived with as facts, as did my creators, damage and erode this ship, spending more than three months in reality as we know it causes damage, frays the edges of the vessel as it tries to exist."_ The AI stated as it suddenly moved, getting up with a swift movement and straddling my lap without a second thought as it quickly wrapped it's arms around my neck, pressing her forehead against my own, our noses practically touching as I looked into crimson eyes and saw them glittering in wonder.

 _"We have slept for countless millennia... Eons have passed us both by and seen the rise and fall of Empires, the darkening of the void as stars are born, grow old and die...I have waited so long... For so, so long... When you came... All that time... It felt like it was worth it..."_ She spoke as she pulled back slightly, giving me some space as I found myself quietly freaked out by the sheer intensity of her gaze.

 _"I am Ghost, the Mind of the Dreadnought, I, and this vessel, are yours to command, Master."_ She spoke as I leaned back, the now-named Ghost following me as she pressed against me once more, not caring for personal space at all and laying her head against the crook of my neck, her breathing tickling my digital form and making me question my sanity for what felt like the dozenth time. I let my arms hang limp for a long moment as I wondered about the name she had given, both of her own name and the name of the ship, the Dreadnought. A thought was enough as my question echoed through the ship, a reply coming an instant later, and telling me something rather interesting.

Both the ship and Ghost had once had names, something far more than just the generic Ghost and Dreadnought, but both had been lost. This ship had truly been lost within this Black Forest for a long time. There were sensor reports that dated back to billions of years ago, signs of something impossibly complex as some records simply no longer existed, having been corroded by time and lack of use, written over to allow for other pieces of information to be placed over them. Status reports, maintenance reports, tests, sensor returns and glimpses into the world outside the Black Forest as they showed reality, among other things.

Still, the question of a name continued to swim through my thoughts, making me wondering about the future I might face, about who _I_ was in turn. Was I the same person that had written that CYOA? Was I that same person, or a clone, a copy, of them that had the misfortune of being a BROBs entertainment for the rest of my natural existence. Honestly, I didn't know, nor did I want to know, for I feared the answer to that question would not be something I would want to hear. If only because I didn't want to suffer a crisis of identity, but I still wondered if I could really be the same person as I was before, the person I had been, what felt like, millennia ago.

A stray thought was enough as a database of names I remembered, and some I _knew_ I had never heard before, appeared before my eyes. Some of the names were clearly alien, others less so, but three names appeared to me, stood out and took root in the back of my mind. Glancing back at the AI, I considered what to say before I realized that she deserved something, she had waited long enough, she had been through enough to be more than just a Ghost, more than just an echo of her Creators.

 _"... Minerva."_ I stated simply, drawing a look from the AI as she leaned up from my neck, her eyes confused at the sudden name as I glanced over to her.

 _"You are more than a Ghost of your Creators, just as this ship is more than just its size classification. So, from now on, you are Minerva, named after the Goddess of Wisdom and Strategic Warfare. This ship, this vessel, will be the_ Invictus _, for it has stood without equal for so long, and I have my doubts about if any could match it."_ I paused for a moment as I considered my own name, the crisis of identity returning before I discarded it in it's entirety. It didn't matter if I was a copy of who I was, or if I am who I once was, what mattered was who I was to be, if only to live. One name sprung to mind.

 _"... As for me... You can call me Abathur."_ I stated, the name reminding me of old memories and a game I had enjoyed. Minerva seemed frozen for a moment as she looked at me, her face shocked for a frozen instant as it slowly thawed and cyan tears started to roll down from her eyes. I watched and saw the smile on her face as she pulled herself just that bit closer and placed her head back down on my shoulder.

 _"Thank you, Master."_ Was all she said, eyes closing even as the tears stopped and she simply enjoyed the contact, seemingly asleep and dreaming. Then again, I could easily imagine that what I had just done was a dream come true to her.

I was proven right when I saw the name of the ship had changed, through every record, no matter how old, it had changed, no longer just another word, but the word seemed to dominate whatever page it was on, glowing with a pride that I felt a word couldn't possess even as I felt something else. Like the air had gotten a bit warmer and the chair below me had changed slightly, becoming more comfortable as I seemed to slip back, eased into a recline that I could remember commanding, but enjoying the position for an eternal moment.

A beautiful perk of my new existence, where an instant could stretch for eternity.

 **XXX**

Skimming over databases of information, I found myself looking more and more towards getting a body back.

With the information at my disposal, I knew it was possible, difficult and annoying to do, but fully possible. Though, the chances of it working were significantly higher than no, especially since the ship I commanded had a great many things that it could use to assist me. One among them was a Biomedical R&D facility that could be used to construct anything from a Bioroid, flash clones, or chimeric, cybernetically augmented war-beasts. Combined with the massive computing power of the Singularity Core, and I was reasonably sure that I could, effectively, puzzle out any problem one could imagine if given enough data and time. The latter of which was not a problem, as the speed of such a computer was simply insane, as was its processing power.

Still, to do that, I needed raw materials to forge into the required forms. And while I _could_ simply transform energy to matter with the Alchemical Forge aboard the ship, I had decided not to. The sheer amount of power needed to be invested into such an undertaking would be ruinous, even with the power core that the _Invictus_ had. Sure, if I didn't have a choice in the matter, I'd probably do it, but that probably wouldn't be something I could do in such a situation. Regardless, I had options that I could use, the main one being to just find somewhere to start mining and convert any matter I didn't want into something usable. Such a thing was far less energy inefficient, but better than having to eject raw materials that could have been usable in other circumstances.

With that in mind, I sent the word and felt the ship respond.

Within the blink of an eye, I felt the beat thump through the ship. Like a heartbeat, I felt power flowing as the pulses grew faster and closer together. I felt the ship shift as the spines lining the tail stood on end as the ship itself reacted in a near organic way as it almost seemed to steam. Externally, I saw the hull, a black smog seemingly clinging to the hull and surrounding the ship as it moved, a thick smoke field that grew thicker and thicker as the unreality of the Black Forest bent and shifted. The realm distorted and came undone as a rift formed, an angry scar in the fabric of an unreal existence that glowed with a dark red light that seemed to cause the surrounding space to smolder as black smoke seemed to rise from the surface of the surrounding pillars.

That lasted for as long as it took the _Invictus_ to cross the breach. I watched with no small amount of wonder as we slid through one portal and passed through a membrane, a final barrier between the Black Forest and reality. The membrane pulled back at our passing, smoking hugging the hull as the membrane flowed over the ship, conforming to its shape and allowing passage as the final breach was made into reality.

I watched with no small amount of awe and amazement as the tip of the ship broke through. The massive dreadnought dragged itself into reality, vapour-like smog clung to the hull even as arcs of red danced across the hull at the edge of the breach. I wondered about those, but checking the sensors only found nothing, no energy discharges from the effects of the lightning, just a light show that was lost in the light of millions of stars. Even then, it was a sight to see as such a massive ship pulled itself free, crawling almost reluctantly from the Black Forest and into existence as the fog finally disappeared from the hull and left the ship as it was.

A black-hulled vessel of insane size and power, looking like an aquatic predator of myth and filled with power beyond imagining.

It was a hell of a thing, knowing that such a thing was at my command. But it was something I'd think of later, after I had a body of some kind to call my own and only after I was no longer a Brain in a jar.

Taking a second, I felt sensors bloom out as they started mapping the environment around the ship, locating everything and anything within a dozen light years and mapping it to a level of detail that just couldn't be matched while submerged within the Forest. Everything for hundreds of light-years was mapped, recorded and documented to a degree I could barely comprehend, yet knew it was just another thing that was part of this reality I found myself in. Still, for all the beauty of the universe, I focused a bit closer to home, namely, to the system that I had been dropped into on the command to find the closest Solar System to harvest for raw materials.

This one was good enough for what I was looking for, as I could see the resources I needed already. Four planets dotted the system, lacking life in any measure, but many of them were filled with resources, resources that I knew would be of great use to me. At the centre, I saw the Yellow Sun of the system, a young star that still glowed with life and looked to be capable of continuing for millions of years. Momentarily, I considered the idea of simply lifting the mass directly from the star, but discarded it after a moment. I didn't lack for fuel, and if I took that in, I'd need to convert the materials directly into what was needed, converting light elements into heavier ones to even begin forming the raw materials needed for any number of processes.

So, with that in mind, I headed for the planet closest to the star.

With a thought, the ship moved with speed and grace that would have seemed impossible for a ship as large as the _Invictus_. There were no ripples, no early warning of its passage, and the automatic Stealth systems built into the ship ensured that no one would detect the ship with anything but the Mark One eyeball. Then again, the matte black hull made that a difficult prospect, even as one might have noticed its passage by watching which stars it covered. Even then, I felt Minerva keeping a wary watch on every object that we passed, the weapons online, but uncharged so as to pass by unnoticed by any observer we might have missed as the planet approached faster than one would think. A distance measured in light-years was crossed as easily as one would take an afternoon stroll through a park, barely half an hour passing before the ship arrived at the planet in question and entered orbit over said planet.

Looking down on it, I could see the raw materials that I wished for. The planet was close to the star, not too close that it was tidally locked, but close enough that the sun reduced the ground to molten rock as it rotated on its axis. Even then, the surface temperature of the planet was insane, a quick run of the numbers and I found myself wondering if anything could survive on the planet. A quick check showed that it was possible, but it also showed that anything that evolved on this planet would be hyper-specialized to exist in this kind of environment. Specifically, an environment where Tungsten and Iridium were regularly turned into little more than molten liquid, or even vapour, and then left to cool over the course of a few hours before being heated once more. On the night side of the planet, this meant that it rained rocks and other valuable ores from the sky, mostly as semi-solid instances.

Staying on the night side, I looked at all this with a grin on my digital face. The planet was a literal goldmine, especially with the constant geological activity that meant that new resources slowly drifted upwards as old materials were pushed towards the night side of the planet and allowed to sink. It was on the night side of the planet that I allowed the _Invictus_ to stay, orbiting at such a pace to remain in the shadow of the planet, if only because I didn't feel like getting the hull scorched by radiation and solar flares of plasma.

With a though, I felt the internal systems of the vessel come alive as smartmatter shifted and the hull opened around the fin on the underside of the vessel. Sections flowed away, revealing massive chambers where large spiralling pillars of black and red emerged. To me, they looked like double-ended versions of the Markers from Dead Space, easily five hundred metres in size, small compared to my ship, but still large when one considered it. Three groups of six such objects slide free from holding mounts as I watched them drift between the _Invictus_ and the planet below. In their groups, I watched as they moved apart, a ring formation becoming visible in all three groups as they lined themselves up with the planet. As they did so, I felt the hull shift once more, the underside fin shifting to allowing a massive hole to be visible, stretching for kilometres across as vast pieces of machines shifted and changed. The beginnings of a vast complex of mining systems all held still in their positions as I felt them, just as I could feel the rest of the ship like one massive extension of myself, all of it just waiting for the word to start their duties.

And with a command, it began.

Suddenly, the molten surface of the planet bubbled and shifted, arcs of molten rock and ore rising into the air as gravity lost all purchase upon them. It started as vast bubbles suddenly lifted up, but it quickly changed as it turned into a trickle, then a solid stream of semi-molten rock. Said rock was accelerating rapidly, cooling and melting even as it was rushed upwards, through the atmosphere and beyond the gravity well of the planet. It took moments for the first bubbles of materials to reach the _Invictus_ , but those that arrived were quickly taken, arriving in range of the internal systems that allowed me to shift and manipulate any and all aspects of the ship as they separated into streams, heating back up to a molten state and flowing into the various access ports that awaited them.

I felt it come and couldn't help but smile, the entire feeling being one hell of a rush, especially as I felt the materials being processed. Random rocks and lesser materials were passed through systems that either converted them to energy, or turned them into more useful elements. The Alchemical Forge was banging away all the while, stripping protons, neutrons and electrons from their arrangements before reassembling them in the desired forms to be of use. Entire seams of Iron and Copper, seas of Lead, oceans of rock and granite, all of it was converted into things that I needed as more machines came to life as they were called. Manufacturing lines woke up at the presence of new materials, assembling vast constructs as I watched with interest, dipping into the databases and archives to find out what they were building as I watched. Drone vessels came online as I watched them being moved through corridors sized for them, their sizes ranging from ten metre long fighters, to nine hundred metre long destroyers. Anything larger wasn't quick to build, their skeletal frames being laid out within internal holds as black hull plating seemed to extrude itself into existence as systems worked together to forge new vessels.

Along with this, fresh ammunition and specialized materials were formed and placed aside, held at the ready as I allowed false-hands to rub together in anticipation for what I could do with so much. I felt the magazines of monstrous weapons slowly fill even as countless weapons cycled through status reports, testing themselves to ensure that all was working. It wasn't a thing to doubt, but it wasn't something I wanted to test in a battle, should such a thing come for me. Something I had little doubt would happen as I looked outside, gazing through sensors as I looked at the expanse of stars beyond my sight.

A minute later, and I started getting further reports back, but grinned as I saw one report that was the entire point of the exercise. A message from the Biomedical R&D facility, stating that it was ready for use, it's reserves of bio-matter reaching a minimum need that could be used for the work I wished for. It was enough for me to turn a portion of my attention towards it, especially as thoughts and ideas and _possibilities_ crawled through my mind for the body I could create with the equipment I had available to me.

 _"Minerva, take over managing the mining operations for me, either until I've finished working, or the mining operation is complete. Inform me of any developments in the surrounding space, whether it be a discovery on the planet below, or the approach of an interstellar vessel of any kind. Understood?"_ I ordered as I felt Minerva starting to take over managing the systems for me, doing it with the ease of long practice, better than I could hope for even with the memories, skills and instincts carved into my brain.

 _"It shall be done, Master."_ She stated with a slight cheer in her voice as I felt her ghosting close, her digital presence hugging me in passing as I moved over to observing the Biomedical facilities as they started coming online. Absently, I knew which of the two outcomes was more likely, and it wasn't me being finished soon, which spoke volumes of both the ideas I had crawling around my brain, and the sheer capacity for raw materials that this vessel had.

Smiling as I went, I could already imagine the possibilities awaiting me and the body I wished for.

 **XXX**

Ok, so, first thing I had discovered was that making a body wasn't an easy thing.

I already knew that, and knew that the Human body was a complex thing, but getting a crash course in it as I tried to recreate a base form wasn't something that I enjoyed too much, even as the AI within the facility aided me in trying to create a body. For that reason, I was glad that I had a series of Virtual Spaces to work with, letting me simulate anything and everything I wanted as the Singularity Core ran the numbers. Countless failures built upon countless more as I worked to create a body, more than just a bog-standard Human body, but one significantly better. If I wanted to create a normal, Human body, I could have done so easily, the database within the R&D facility even had a fully functional DNA generation system that included Human DNA. I could have just slapped that into the system and ordered a new body to be cloned and produced within an hour.

Still, doing that just felt lazy to me. The ability to create my own body as I could wish for it was something that I couldn't help but jump at, especially when you considered the sheer number of augments that I could throw on top of that. After numerous attempts, I had even managed to create a somewhat stable design, created with maximum survivability in mind and with heightened combat potential when compared to a normal Human. Sure, it wasn't the finished version of what I wanted, but it was good enough that I wouldn't be too annoyed about not being able to go further without more experience, more practice and more resources.

I slapped the quad-strand DNA into the system and watched it work.

I looked on with curious interest as the Quad-strand DNA structure formed from base proteins and then multiplied, forming cells that underwent fission to create a multi-cellular organism with impossible speed. I watched this happen, all through the internal sensors of the _Invictus_ even as I felt the shift. My own connection with the ship allowing me to remain in contact with it regardless of distance or position, but I could still feel the fact that my Brain had been physically disconnected from the complex system of controls. Turning my attention back to my body for the immediate future, I watched as streams of silver flowed from the sides of the artificial womb and weaved into the mass of cells as it grew in size, form and complexity. Even as more bio-matter was produced and supplied, I still watched as the raw materials were dripped into the womb and absorbed into something new.

Hours passed me by as I continued to watch, absently carrying out simulations and further designs for the future as my body took form. Already, it was coming together, it's shape apparent and it's more complex systems coming alive as lungs formed, Hearts formed and nerve connections sparked with life. However, for all that, it still remained little more than a corpse as it continued to gain in size and capability, just as I had hoped.

Honestly, it spoke of just how advanced the tech I was working with was, that it only took five hours to go from a single strand of digitally simulated DNA to a fully grown body. Said body simply floated in a suspension fluid that held it in a kind of stasis, all bodily functions not yet active, but with a very key feature to this body that made it possible for my use. Namely, it was the fact that it was engineered to lack a brain, well, one that actually did any form of thinking. Looking it over once more even as I saw my own Brain finally arrive, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like in the new body I would soon have.

Momentarily, the disk-shaped machine holding my Brain lowered itself, placing both itself and my Brain on a workstation as energy fields unfolded and picked up my Jar. A stream of material suddenly flowed from one section of the lab as I watched, a small port opening just long enough for the liquid to leave before it flowed into the Jar. Nothing stopped it, the energy fields already taking the jar apart as I watched, it's physical matter seemingly evaporating into steam around the entry point of the liquid as I felt the world around me grow dull and indistinct. I knew that the liquid had been a sedative for the procedure to come, but the suddenness of its work was surprising. My presence in the systems of the _Invictus_ rapidly disappeared as all the sensory inputs faded to nothing before consciousness escaped my grasp, all within a few blinks of an eye.

By that point, the Jar had completely disappeared, leaving my Brain in a bubble of liquid as it slowly hovered over to the womb where my body awaited. The last image I saw, before falling to the effects of the sedative, were of the skull of my new body being pulled back, skin flaking away as the empty skull was exposed and the bio-mechanical links were exposed.

 **XXX**

Waking up once more was an... Experience.

I half-expected to flounder and jerk up, but no such reaction came to me as I simply sat up the moment my eyes opened. Immediately, I looked down at the flesh and blood arms that I now had, no longer phantoms of data in a virtual space, but real, physical things. I felt my lips twist into a smile as I examined the limbs as I saw up, a blanket falling to my waist as I felt air press against my skin, the heat of the air and the pressure of the blanket resting against me. The fact that I was completely naked didn't even register with me for a moment as I spent more time marveling at the body I controlled.

The skin was lightly tanned, but toned, with a good amount of muscle without seeming either excessive or grotesque, but it was clear to see that it wasn't a Human body. Lines of silver traced through the visible flesh, veins almost seemed to glow a bright cyan colour that spread through most of my body while my limbs seemed to lack any kind of hair. Black seams were also visible, following the lines of muscle bundles and flexing with every movement I took. It was interesting to watch, knowing that the techno-organic fibres were dozens of times more potent than they should have been, forged from materials that I was sure didn't have names in English. Just from sitting up, I could feel the differences in my body as it held a stillness to it that, while as natural as breathing, should not have been possible for a normal Human. The sheer fact that said stillness felt natural to me was somewhat odd, but it wasn't something that was so far outside what I had come to expect.

What was outside my expectations were the new senses. The world opening up to me with a riot of colours that I knew to be outside the Human experience. A thought, and my sense of sight expanded to cover nearly the entire EM Spectrum. Another thought, and it switched to showing the world as a haze of heat and thermal outputs, while a third thought caused it to shift once more to show the UV radiation in the world around me. Not to mention, there was the simple sensation of knowing what was around me at all times, even without looking, I knew that a dozen active machines stood to my left, out of my line of sight as I felt their systems humming with energy. Without even accessing the internal systems of the _Invictus_ , I could see the exact shape of the lab even as I stood up and enjoyed the sensation of movement after being a digital being for what felt like an eternity. The movement, of course, caused the blanket to slide from my form as I stood to my full height, but it wasn't something I cared for as I considered other things.

Automatically, matter joined into threads that then wove themselves into clothing. An absent thought shaped the design, but the end result was something I quite liked; A simple, one piece wetsuit-like article of clothing that covered my body from neck to toe, covering my hands even as it formed other clothing. Over that, I wore a hooded, black trench coat-like robe with the hood pulled down, wide sleeves covered my arms while the robe itself came down my ankles with two cuts in the front to give the appearance of a loincloth of some kind being merged into the robe. On the robe itself, different textures worked to create fractal patterns that I liked the look of as I found the designs in the vast databases of the ship and incorporated them into the clothing.

With that done, I stood in the near-silent room and marveled at the product of so much technology as I considered what to do next. A thought, and the connection with the ship showed me much.

"Minerva." I intoned, my voice sounding smooth, but bass. Different than what I had had in my old life, but definitely not something that I didn't enjoy as I watched a wall shift. The surface rippling as a figure rose from it before gaining definition and detail. At first, it was like a mannequin, but within moments, features became distinct, followed by clothing and more intricate patterns and designs as I watched the physical avatar of the ship's AI step into the physical world. Immediately, it was rather apparently just how different her avatar was in reality as opposed to in the virtual space of the ship. The differences were both subtle and profound now that I thought about it. In virtual space, Minerva's avatar had been constantly shifting, the facial features alone had never remained the same for longer than a few seconds before they shifted just enough to be completely different in a number of ways. Eye shape, nose shape, hair shade, eye shade, lips, freckles, dimples, the shape of the lips, and half a dozen other things that I could think of now that I stopped and considered it. The fact that her physical avatar wasn't doing it wasn't a surprise, interesting, but only worthy of noting that it wasn't happening.

"Yes, Master?" She asked as I looked at her, having stopped a few steps from me, watching me as I looked down at my own hand, able to pick out every feature of the one-piece suit I had chosen to wear. Even without focus, I could still see the AI in my peripherals just as easily as if I was looking at her, not slight blurring or difficulty to pick up on subtle details, but a simple awareness. Even without sight, I could still feel her standing beside me, through a mixture of senses both old and new, traditional and esoteric.

"How are the mining and construction efforts coming along?" I asked, my eyes still remaining focused on my hand even as I asked, marvelling at my work. Absently, a part of me noted that I was probably being rude, but that was it, not being anything of significance as I continued my observations as Minerva spoke in turn, a cheerful tone to her voice.

"All current operations are proceeding as expected. Mining operations have been slowly filling up the internal reserves of raw matter for later usage, while construction of Drone forces of various types have been proceeding as expected. Currently, raw matter storage is at 47% while Drone capacity is at 32% overall. Assembly lines have been working at all times to further increase this number, but such progress is slow due to the amount of time it takes to built higher level units. However, I am pleased to report that the _Invictus_ currently has a sufficient reserve of Void combat Drones as to allow for some basic fleet support to be deployed from the ship, if needed." She explains as the information also comes to me, beamed straight to the forefront of my brain as I pause in my fascinated examination of my hand. With this information came context, a full list of the specifications of each and every item currently being produced and stored away in the cavernous holds of the _Invictus_.

It takes more discipline than I had thought possible not to either giggle like a madman, or suddenly stop dead and gape at the insane numbers I was seeing in front of me. Absent thoughts brought more information, full specifications for each unit and everything from where they originated from, what they were made of, how they were built of, and what they were armed with. From the 'smallest', three metre tall infantry Drone, to the massive, multi-kilometre long Cruisers that were _still_ being constructed as matter was forged into existence on skeletal frames. Words truly failed to describe just how powerful these things were, or just how advanced they were. Even just looking at a single one of those 'infantry Drones' I could see that the thing had more in line with a walking tank than anything else.

Multiple layers of redundant shields, adaptive armor plating based around a pseudo-organic design, a self-repair system that could only be called supernatural in speed, physical speed and strength beyond anything I had thought possible. Hell, one of the weakest weapon couldn't even be called 'weak' by itself, but merely by comparison to other weapons given that it was, effectively, a smart-bullet machine gun that fired miniature, self-seeking, dial-a-yield, _Anti-Matter_ warheads! A miniature version of one of the many weapons that the _Invictus_ itself, and all of its supporting Drones, was armed with. Not only that, but I remembered the CYOA that had landed me in this situation, and I remembered the names of the various other systems, the ones I hadn't picked. It was only due to that fact that I came to quickly realise that the CYOA wasn't a final decision, but a starting point. The massive database of the _Invictus_ had the blueprints and background theory to design, built and implement any other system that was mentioned in that CYOA, and _then some_. Things that hadn't been present in the CYOA were there as well, systems so advanced that I could barely believe it, devices of such apparent power that they could be used to sculpt existence on a scale that boggled the mind.

And all of that... Was at my finger tips...

"... How long until the mining and construction operations are complete...?" I asked, my voice trailing out as a distracted whisper as I tried to assimilate all the new information into my mind. Even with the ability to do so, full comprehension was something that took time, and actually being able to accept things as fact took even longer, especially when talking about science that looked more like the providence of Gods. If Minerva saw or noticed my slight distress at the new revelations of my existence, she didn't show it, as she carried on.

"Full completion of all construction efforts is estimated to take approximately twelve more days, with mining operations taking a further three days following on from that." Minerva replied cheerfully as I absently noted the timescale. I had been working on my new body for almost six days, which meant that, from start to finish, it would only take 21 days for the _Invictus_ to be finished in this system and ready to move on to other places. Even then, I considered what would happen if I re-tasked the Alchemical Forge to produce fresh materials rather than reforging existing materials. A quick check showed that it would cause the time to be cut down by almost thirty percent, but the rise in energy usage wasn't something I was keen on, even with the sheer power generation I had available to me. The simple fact was that, at the current time, I didn't see the need to prioritize speed over efficiency.

"... Good. Once the last batch of materials has been-" I stopped in my order suddenly, my attention caught as something entered the edge of my perception. Minerva felt it as well, I felt and saw her posture change, stiff and more straight as her digital existence shifted to full readiness faster than the blink of an eye.

An instinct surged, my mind suddenly aware of something near the mid-rim of the system before I saw what had caused the alert. Reality seemed to almost ripple as I watched, energetic lines being carved into the physical world as the gates opened and vessels almost seemed to leap out of said vortexes as tendrils of energy seemed to dance across the hulls of the vessels. However, before the first portal had even finished opening fully, I had already sent out orders. Instantly, the Gravity Lifters shut down and began to float back to the ship at significant speed, the massive tower of matter either being pulled inwards and rapidly processed, or falling to the semi-molten surface below. With that done, I shut down all high-energy systems, mainly the Shipyard, the Manufactory and the Alchemical Forge, to allow for maximum stealth even as the ship started moving, leaving the immediate orbit of the planet and rising above the solar plane of the system.

 _"Full combat readiness. Put this body in storage for a later time and begin activation of all potential combat units, arm all weapons and defense systems, but do not power them up enough to break stealth. I will be in the Virtual Space."_ I stated, turning back to digital communication as I disconnected from the senses of the physical world even as the smart matter of the ship cushioned the body as it fell to the ground. I didn't even feel the impact as I had already transitioned back into the Virtual Space that served as the CIC of the _Invictus_.

A sweep of a digital arm, and I was suddenly looking at the ripples as they grew, having multiplied in number until I could count over a few thousand of them, with one being separate from the rest by a few dozen light-seconds. It was from that separate ripple in space that the first ship exited from, it's form little more than a silver blur to unaugmented eyes, but it's transition was painfully slow to the computer of the _Invictus_ , even as it kept accelerating. Picking out the details was easy, given the sensors and processing power I had behind me, and immediately, it became apparently that I had just found myself in something more than a scouting fleet action.

The ship itself was made of a silver metal, said metal formed into the shape of two crescents that faced away from each other, one pointing forwards while another pointed backwards. Multiple pyramids studded the surface with conduits glowing of cyan energy being visible through select sections even as it powered onwards. It was an impressive design, one that I re-tasked the ship to scan and investigate immediately, even as it banked away from the other portals and picked up speed, to the point that it would have probably pulped any organic being inside. Then again, I could guess that it used some kind of advanced inertia compensation system to cope, but, even with that, I would have imagined that someone would be feeling the strain. And even if that wasn't the case, it was clear that the ship itself was, probably not helped by the very visible signs of damage that covered the hull of the ship.

Blackened hull sections, evidence of massive explosions and areas which looked as though they had just been scoped out by God's own Ice Cream scoop all dotted the hull even as I watched some of these areas start to repair themselves. An educated guess would say that there was either something important or valuable in those areas, potentially both, but that was only something of note for later, if it came down to a hostile contact.

A ping followed as the ship banked and made a run for the other edge of the system, it took a moment for the computer core to map out a possible flight path, but chances were good that the ship was planning to skim by the local star. For what reason, I couldn't guess, but I doubted that it was without good reason, even if only to try and perform a sling-shot exit of the system. Turning my attention away from that ship, I turned back to the source of the ping, that being the other ripples that had appeared in the mid-rim of the system. Looking at the first of the ships to come from the portals, I couldn't help myself when I froze in surprise and shock at what I saw for what felt like an eternity.

Dozens of ships of various sizes all dragged themselves out of the portals at high speed, seemingly pulling themselves free from immaterial hands as arcs of energy stuttered across silver hull armor that looked pristine. A majority of them all followed the same design theme, all built to look like crescents studded with pyramids, conduits were visible, but glowed a poisonous, emerald green as I saw the central ships pull ahead, their vanguards close to them as they all gave chase to the fleeing vessel. Energy signatures spiked even as I watched them speed on after the smaller craft as escorts formed into squadrons, encircling a core of heavier warships that I recognized all too well. An absent thought was enough for the system to run a test, scanning the exotic metal of the vessels to determine the age of the material, for however well the adaptive memory alloy could be dated.

An answer came to me a few moments later, one that I didn't like, one that only served to make me want to find whatever bastard had put me here and gut said bastard with as rusty, and as blunt of a spoon as I could find.

Then again, one could argue that such would be the case with anyone faced with a fleet of millennia-old Necron vessels, lead by a core of, what I recognized as, Cairn-class Tomb ships.

I sighed...Why, oh, why did it have to be the War In Heaven...?

 **XXX**

AN: Ok, so, there you have the first chapter of my reboot of my 40K story. If anything, this should be an interesting ride. As always, feedback is welcome to help improve the story, and I hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

Until then!


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